Ford’s BlueOval City in Tennessee takes shape: Watch the progression
Ford plans to train West Tennessee residents for jobs at its Tennessee Electric Vehicle Center and start hiring hourly employees in 2025.
Ford Motor Co. is making a series a changes as it pursues “higher-return opportunities,” the automaker announced Dec. 15. Among those changes: Producing gas-powered trucks instead of electric trucks at BlueOval City in Tennessee.
In a news release, Michigan-based Ford said it no longer plans to manufacture some larger electric vehicles “where the business case has eroded” due to factors like lower-than-expected demand, high costs and regulatory changes. That’s led to some major changes at BlueOval City in Stanton, which was built to produce a new electric truck for the automaker.
The Tennessee Electric Vehicle Center at BlueOval City is being renamed into the Tennessee Truck Plant, and will be repurposed to manufacture a gas-powered line of “Built Ford Tough” trucks. Production on those trucks is currently set to begin in 2029.
The Tennessee Electric Vehicle Center was expected to employ 3,300 people — that number has now been reduced to 2,300, not including the 71 employees already on salary.
When the BlueOval City project was first announced in September 2021, production was originally expected to start in 2025.
However, the project has faced numerous delays. Among the more recent, in June, Ford informed suppliers and employees of plans to delay mass production of its new electric trucks at BlueOval City until 2028. Prototype builds were still set to start at BlueOval City in 2027.
Ford announced during a tour in May that 71 salaried employees — the leadership staff — had been hired at the Tennessee Electric Vehicle Center. However, there hadn’t been any movement toward hiring hourly wage employees at that point, according to a spokesperson.
The switch in plans for the vehicle plant at BlueOval City follows Dec. 11’s news that SK On and Ford have reached an agreement to restructure their U.S. battery manufacturing joint venture, BlueOval SK.
Under the agreement, SK On will have full ownership and operate the battery plant at BlueOval City in Stanton. SK On said it is committed to the battery plant in Stanton.
“SK On greatly values the local communities in which it invests and our team members where it operates across the United States,” the statement read. “SK On is committed to establishing the Tennessee facility as a cornerstone of its expanding U.S. advanced battery manufacturing capabilities and production. SK On will also maintain its solid strategic relationship with Ford going forward, as the Tennessee plant is located within the automaker’s BlueOval City campus.”
The restructuring of BlueOval City is part of Ford’s larger plan to change its battery and electric vehicle manufacturing ability. The company is launching a new battery energy storage business, and repurposing existing U.S. battery manufacturing capacity in Glendale, Kentucky. The next generation of Ford’s electric F-150 Lightning will still enter production in Dearborn, Michigan.
Jacob Wilt is a reporter for The Commercial Appeal covering DeSoto County, as well as Dining in the Memphis area. You can reach him at jacob.wilt@commercialappeal.com.
